The launch of Windows 7 is only days
away and Microsoft has big hopes for the new OS. Many computer makers
are also hoping that the new OS will spur consumers and businesses to
buy new machines. Despite the hopes of computer makers and Microsoft,
Steve Ballmer is playing
down the roll of Windows 7 in improving PC sales.

In the
corporate world, the vast majority of firms never upgraded to Vista.
One of the reasons few corporations upgraded to Vista was that at the
time it launched only 50% of the computers in use were able to run
the OS and meet Vista's minimum requirements.

Microsoft will
be glad to hear that 65%
of current PCs in the corporate world are able to run Windows 7
in its optimal configuration. A mere 6% of computers could run Vista
in it optimal configuration when it launched. Those percentages were
compiled by IT asset management company Softchoice. The firm goes on
to say that 88% of corporate computers can run Windows 7 at minimum
specifications.

Softchoice Services Development Manager Dean
Williams wrote in a research note, "Since so few organizations
made the switch to Vista, over 90 percent of PCs have remained on
Windows XP—an operating system about to celebrate its 10th
birthday—while close to 5 percent are running operating systems
that Microsoft no longer supports. Given the added risks and costs of
maintaining aging infrastructure, organizations would be well advised
to begin planning their move to more current technology. The fact
that so many organizations are already entitled to do so through
Microsoft's Software Assurance should remove cost as a potential
barrier."

Softchoice found in a survey of 450,000
corporate PCs more than nine out of ten have Windows XP installed.
Nearly one in ten have a combination of Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4
-- Vista was only found on 3% of computers.

"We've seen a
sea change compared to the landscape in which Vista was introduced,"
Williams said. "Organizations have some work to do to shore up a
small percentage of their fleet, but the natural PC refresh cycle has
more or less eliminated system requirements as a potential stumbling
block to deploying Windows 7. The migration question is now about
understanding the benefits of switching as well as implementing a
plan to minimize any potential deployment headaches."

"What would I do? I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders." -- Michael Dell, after being asked what to do with Apple Computer in 1997